National Forum

Davy Fitzgerald- New Antrim Manager.

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Replying To tireoghainabu:  "This is great news for Antrim hurling, if he gets three years at the job I would love to see Antrim pass out Dublin and mabey even Wexford. I wonder what odds Paddy Power would give on Antrim reaching a Leinster final in 3 years time?"
Paddy Power will let you write down your own odds on that one …..!

ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 2811 - 16/08/2024 10:13:02    2565405

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Replying To LohansRedHelmet:  "Would you take him back to Wexford and if not, why not?"
I probably wouldn't to be honest. I'd be confident we'd win something but the long term drawbacks couldn't be ignored.

We're probably 3-5 years behind in a rebuilding job as a result on the 2019 success.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3055 - 16/08/2024 10:22:27    2565407

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "Clare are not going to ever have Davy back, but a lot of people are puzzled by the hostility that some (many even?) Clare people have towards him given that he was as Doyler said central to both the great 90s team and to the winning team in 2013.

As I said on Dublin thread regarding our next parachute job Davy has come to epitomise an increasingly distasteful (in my view) bed hopping particularly in certain counties including Dublin. Which is clearly of no long term or even short term benefit to Dublin at least."
I don't get it either. Living in Wexford, the men of 1996 (including Liam Griffin) are held in a sort of religious state by people above a certain age as well as people who have grown up hearing about that year.
Davy Fitz was involved in 3 All-Ireland victories for Clare, 2 as a player and 1 as a manager. It takes an especially spiteful county of people that the prevailing attitude towards him is so negative.
I have no use for the bed hopping myself and mercenary manager but I can't see why a native county would have such a negative attitude towards him.
Regarding his sojourn to Antrim, I wish him all the best. But outside of Corrigan Park, Antrim are not a match for the top teams. They don't have any real underage success to point at. I don't see this being a success and while it might ignite a fire, I fear the same in Dublin - good money after bad and money spent on an outside manager which could be spent on coaching and facilities.

ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1252 - 16/08/2024 10:37:36    2565410

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "I can't understand why he's so unpopular in Clare. He's so pivotal to almost all the success you've had"
He's unpopular in alot of Clare hurling circles despite that success Doyler.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13407 - 16/08/2024 10:48:43    2565411

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "Galway are far from a permanent fixture in Leinster finals. Only lazy and ill informed pundits say this."
Galway haven't even made the AI series from 40% of the Leinster Round Robins played. Yet potentially are a last 4 county in it every year they make it. Mad.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13407 - 16/08/2024 10:50:34    2565412

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "I probably wouldn't to be honest. I'd be confident we'd win something but the long term drawbacks couldn't be ignored.

We're probably 3-5 years behind in a rebuilding job as a result on the 2019 success."
It's the one big criticism I have of him. Our u21 side of 2018 was our best u21 side probably since the early 00s, but definitely since 2015. And some of those lads had to wait until Egan took over before they even got a call from Senior management. They missed out on critical development between the ages of 21 and 25.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13407 - 16/08/2024 10:54:20    2565414

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Replying To Viking66:  "Galway haven't even made the AI series from 40% of the Leinster Round Robins played. Yet potentially are a last 4 county in it every year they make it. Mad."
Galway have been in 10 of the 16 Leinster finals since joining the province. Kilkenny have been in 14 of them in the same time. Dublin have been in 6 and Wexford in 2. It's not a mad statement to say Galway are likely to make the final. It happens much more often than not.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2152 - 16/08/2024 11:21:20    2565420

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "Clare are not going to ever have Davy back, but a lot of people are puzzled by the hostility that some (many even?) Clare people have towards him given that he was as Doyler said central to both the great 90s team and to the winning team in 2013.

As I said on Dublin thread regarding our next parachute job Davy has come to epitomise an increasingly distasteful (in my view) bed hopping particularly in certain counties including Dublin. Which is clearly of no long term or even short term benefit to Dublin at least."
I dont know if you could say that he is very unpopular in Clare he did win an AI and a League but he failed to move on and was obsessed with the sweeper and dident do much to develop the tall lads like Duggan Malone Shanaghan ect seemed obsessed with the sweeper and the smaller lads, his record in Munster championship was very poor the Clare pubic tired of the 16/17 points a championship game.

Also there was a perception that Paul Kinnerk was lost to us because of Davy not giving his his head also perhaps the fact that Pat his Dad was County Secretary may not have helped either but he has a fairly good record over the first 2/3 years thereafter no, so I really wish him well in Antrim as some poster said Belfast has a massive population if he can get a bounce and improve underage.

The more hurling teams we have of a high standard is only for the good of hurling so I really hope its a massive success

clooney (Clare) - Posts: 960 - 16/08/2024 11:27:41    2565423

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I guess the travel is no longer an issue....

oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1462 - 16/08/2024 11:42:26    2565429

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Replying To oneoff:  "I guess the travel is no longer an issue...."
That was the issue with Waterford I thought! Be some lovely expenses for that up and down regular drive to Antrim….

Matthew (None) - Posts: 1026 - 16/08/2024 12:17:50    2565436

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Replying To clooney:  "I dont know if you could say that he is very unpopular in Clare he did win an AI and a League but he failed to move on and was obsessed with the sweeper and dident do much to develop the tall lads like Duggan Malone Shanaghan ect seemed obsessed with the sweeper and the smaller lads, his record in Munster championship was very poor the Clare pubic tired of the 16/17 points a championship game.

Also there was a perception that Paul Kinnerk was lost to us because of Davy not giving his his head also perhaps the fact that Pat his Dad was County Secretary may not have helped either but he has a fairly good record over the first 2/3 years thereafter no, so I really wish him well in Antrim as some poster said Belfast has a massive population if he can get a bounce and improve underage.

The more hurling teams we have of a high standard is only for the good of hurling so I really hope its a massive success"
I cant post my feelings on this or it will be blocked but I could give you at least 10 examples of why he is viewed negatively in Clare. His contribution to Clare hurling is in whole very good and we will be forever grateful for what he did. But that doesnt give you a lifetime free pass...

LohansRedHelmet (Clare) - Posts: 2679 - 16/08/2024 12:30:05    2565438

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Replying To WanPintWin:  "Galway have been in 10 of the 16 Leinster finals since joining the province. Kilkenny have been in 14 of them in the same time. Dublin have been in 6 and Wexford in 2. It's not a mad statement to say Galway are likely to make the final. It happens much more often than not."
Im actually shocked to read that Wexford have only been in 2

LohansRedHelmet (Clare) - Posts: 2679 - 16/08/2024 12:30:38    2565439

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Replying To ExiledInWex:  "I don't get it either. Living in Wexford, the men of 1996 (including Liam Griffin) are held in a sort of religious state by people above a certain age as well as people who have grown up hearing about that year.
Davy Fitz was involved in 3 All-Ireland victories for Clare, 2 as a player and 1 as a manager. It takes an especially spiteful county of people that the prevailing attitude towards him is so negative.
I have no use for the bed hopping myself and mercenary manager but I can't see why a native county would have such a negative attitude towards him.
Regarding his sojourn to Antrim, I wish him all the best. But outside of Corrigan Park, Antrim are not a match for the top teams. They don't have any real underage success to point at. I don't see this being a success and while it might ignite a fire, I fear the same in Dublin - good money after bad and money spent on an outside manager which could be spent on coaching and facilities."
Spiteful????

I can say with certainty that Davy would be the only 1 of the 90s team that would be viewed negatively by the Clare public. How does that make us spiteful?

Lohan, Daly, Seanie Mc, Sparrow etc are legends in Clare. Davys is a legend too for what he did not the pitch but no one gets a free pass for the rest of their life for their contrubtions to Clare GAA. Thats total nonsense.

LohansRedHelmet (Clare) - Posts: 2679 - 16/08/2024 12:33:44    2565440

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I do wish Davy well in Antrim however. As I said I am glad he is still in the game but equally as glad that he is not involved with Clare GAA. there is a reason Dublin werent interested in him too - PR.

LohansRedHelmet (Clare) - Posts: 2679 - 16/08/2024 12:37:42    2565442

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Replying To Doylerwex:  "I probably wouldn't to be honest. I'd be confident we'd win something but the long term drawbacks couldn't be ignored.

We're probably 3-5 years behind in a rebuilding job as a result on the 2019 success."
3-5 years is a stretch. It is never as bad or good as you think.

We were hockied in 2011 ending with a massacre in Salthill and won the All Ireland 2 years later.

LohansRedHelmet (Clare) - Posts: 2679 - 16/08/2024 12:40:09    2565443

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Replying To LohansRedHelmet:  "3-5 years is a stretch. It is never as bad or good as you think.

We were hockied in 2011 ending with a massacre in Salthill and won the All Ireland 2 years later."
I suppose what I'm saying is I'd have liked to see more of the minor team of 19 moved up. They're nearly lost now because they had to wait too long. Poor Egan had an impossible task.

Davy dogged the team that Liam Dunne built. I'm grateful to him, but lots of good players came and went without getting near Davy's golden circle.

He only gave two championship debuts in 5 years. Damien Reck and Rory o Connor who were too good to ignore.

Seamus Casey is around a long but he only played championship this year.

That said I do actually look to Clare for inspiration. We are similar enough. There's no reason we can't emulate your success.

You're all Ireland victory is a much needed tonic for the hurling world.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3055 - 16/08/2024 13:02:47    2565450

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Replying To LohansRedHelmet:  "Im actually shocked to read that Wexford have only been in 2"
It is shocking. Loads of near misses but sadly you get nothing for those.

Accomodating Antrim and Galway has been extremely harmful to Wexford more than most.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3055 - 16/08/2024 13:04:15    2565452

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Replying To clooney:  "I dont know if you could say that he is very unpopular in Clare he did win an AI and a League but he failed to move on and was obsessed with the sweeper and dident do much to develop the tall lads like Duggan Malone Shanaghan ect seemed obsessed with the sweeper and the smaller lads, his record in Munster championship was very poor the Clare pubic tired of the 16/17 points a championship game.

Also there was a perception that Paul Kinnerk was lost to us because of Davy not giving his his head also perhaps the fact that Pat his Dad was County Secretary may not have helped either but he has a fairly good record over the first 2/3 years thereafter no, so I really wish him well in Antrim as some poster said Belfast has a massive population if he can get a bounce and improve underage.

The more hurling teams we have of a high standard is only for the good of hurling so I really hope its a massive success"
"he has a fairly good record over the first 2/3 years"

That sums him up pretty much. A good man to bring something in the short term but will leave things in a wreck and will blame everyone else.

oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1462 - 16/08/2024 13:04:29    2565453

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Replying To Matthew:  "That was the issue with Waterford I thought! Be some lovely expenses for that up and down regular drive to Antrim…."
Imagine if you had to hold down a full time job too

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2054 - 16/08/2024 13:23:27    2565455

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Replying To Viking66:  "He's unpopular in alot of Clare hurling circles despite that success Doyler."
From talking to people familiar with the goings on in Clare hurling, I can understand why some don't like him.
There no doubting his contribution to Clares success, but sometimes winning isn't everything. There's seems to be an edge to the lad that you avoid once your with him, but you bare the brunt if your not.
I think he'll do well with Antrim, provided expectations are managed.

Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 1462 - 16/08/2024 13:43:08    2565456

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